Monday, March 2, 2009

Palm Springs holiday

When Javier first suggested Palm Springs as our conquer-the-mid-winter-blahs holiday, the first words out of my mouth were "only old people go there"! Perhaps not the most politically correct statement, but it does have a bit of a reputation though, you know. However, a little internet research revealed Palm Springs to be a mid-century wonderland, with plenty of shopping and relaxation to be had.

From the very beginning of our holiday, Javier and I were treated like royalty. The check-in agent took our boarding passes from us as we were waiting at the gate, passing time with our magazines and coffee. She handed them back to stating she gave us better seats. Well, yeah...she upgraded us to Executive Class! My 6'4 tall husband's legs were very pleased. The flight passed quickly in our luxurious seats and before we knew it we were in Los Angeles.

We always try to book Hertz because we have generally enjoyed really great service from them plus we are creatures of habit. Javier asked for a car with NeverLost, but the only vehicles with this service were the large SUVs and this....

For a phenomenally discounted rate, we drove this baby the entire trip. I called it the pimp-mobile, though Javier states it is more drug-lord style. Whatever. We certainly made quite the impact when we were out and about. EVERYONE commented on our ride. I generally go for a more under-stated look so I admit I was pretty mortified. But Javier enjoyed it and did say that it drove like a dream. And okay, it was fun zipping around with the roof off.

I preferred to take the passenger seat the entire time.

On our second evening, we took in the Palm Springs Village Fest on Palm Canyon Drive. Being from Canada where the average temperature at this time of year is below freezing, we thought the weather was quite balmy. We giggled at everyone so bundled up in parkas and scarves, when we just had light sweaters over our t-shirts. Check out the pink socks, capri pants, and heavy jacket above. Do you think she was "asking the rabbi" for fashion advice? We loved this booth, but couldn't come up with any really good questions for him.

The street fair was a popular event, though we were definitely in the minority as far as age and sexual orientation went. Most people we saw were at least 20 years older than us or celebrating their alternative lifestyles. We kept seeing this one little tribe of people, all wearing turquoise satin bomber jackets with "The Rollin' Thunderbirds" written across the back. They were adorable, these men and women, all under 5'5 with very distinct New Jersey accents.

There was a lot of jewelry for sale, some pantings, and pottery. There are lots of very talented local artisans. Although it was all very beautiful, we had more fun people-watching than anything. Palm Springs has its fair share of eccentrics.

I didn't find anything to buy until I reached a booth selling hand crafted flowers out of clay. These cacti are the perfect size for that dollhouse I still haven't finished! Even Javier thought they were sweet.

This is me acting silly in the desert, about to embark on our big hike inJoshua Tree National Park. It is truly unlike any place I've ever been too. But more on that in my next post...

Yeah, I think you're right about the crowd being a little out of your comfort zone. But the car, oh my gosh I would LOVED to have driven that car! My husband would have had a hard time getting it away from me. lol! I used to drive sports cars though.

Can't wait to see the Joshua Tree post. Maybe someday we'll get there.